CADD: Cranes Against Drunk Driving
by RuthlessStyleFreak
Summary: {Complete} After an accident, the Crane family is forced to experience what drunk driving can do to your life. My 1st Frasier fanfic. Please be kind! This story is not meant to offend anyone who has lost someone due to drunk driving.
1. Victimless?

Disclaimer-I own _nothing_ that is on television.  I really want to, but that'll never happen....this story takes place a short while after Niles and Daphne are married.

A/N-This is my first Frasier fan fiction, so please keep that in mind when you review.  I am always open to suggestions, as long as they don't tell me that I suck.  And comments, of course, are always welcome in my e-mail inbox.

I got this idea after attending a "Drug Odyssey" field trip with my freshmen (Yes, I'm a freshman....also keep that in mind) class this year.  It showed me how horrible drinking and driving can really be.  Everyone hears about how terrible it is, but when you see pictures and hear very depressing stories about how it affected people's lives, it puts it in a whole new light.  

So, I decided to write a story about the horrors of drinking and driving, and "Frasier" seemed to be the best choice that I could think of for a story.  I'm sorry, I can never stop talking once I get started....please review!!

**Chapter One-Victimless?**

As his tires screeched to a halt, Dr. Niles Crane looked impatiently at his watch.  He should've been at Frasier's house at least a half-an-hour ago.  _Why didn't I leave with Daphne?_ he thought, rubbing at his temple.  _Oh,_ _right, because I had to go and get the wine that Frasier simply _had_ to have for_ _tonight.  I just _knew_ we shouldn't have told him about his birthday party.  Oh _well, no sense in thinking about it now.__

The stoplight turned green, and Niles gently pushed down on the accelerator.  Niles groaned inwardly; it was already seven o'clock and beginning to get dark.  "I should've been there at six thirty," he mumbled.  He glanced back at the wine bottle, which was in a bag, behind the passenger seat to make sure that it hadn't fallen over....it hadn't.  His eyes floated back to the road in front of him.

Niles was nearing Frasier's block.  "Well, he'd better appreciated this."  Niles sighed, feeling less irritated now that he was almost there.  The wait at the pharmacy had been horrible; it had taken at least fifteen minutes to check out.  "Who, besides me, goes out to buy alcohol on a Tuesday night?" he asked himself.  

Suddenly, he saw two white lights on the road ahead of him.  At first, he had thought that they may have been just two lights on the sidewalk, but his heart began to race as he discovered that the lights were growing larger and larger at an alarming rate.  

Niles gripped the steering wheel tightly, prepared to swerve out of the way of the car that was speeding towards him....

-Frasier's Apartment-Five Minutes Earlier-

"Where is Niles with that wine?" asked Frasier, attempting to sound annoyed, but failed; he was simply too excited about his birthday, not that he was getting older, but the fact that he was having a party with only his family and closest friends, and nothing, unlike his past parties, had gone wrong....just yet.

"Now, Fras, I'm sure that he probably got caught in some traffic or something," replied Martin, who was also anxious about his younger son's arrival; Frasier wasn't the only one pleased that there was going to be a party with no mishaps.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Dad, but still-"

"Frasier, _you're_ the one who asked him to go out and get the stuff," said Roz, matter-of-factly.

"It isn't 'stuff,' Roz, it's-oh, never mind!  I don't want to take the time explaining wine to you."

"Whatever," murmured Roz, rolling her eyes.

-Nile's Car-Present Time-

Niles gripped the steering wheel tightly, prepared to swerve out of the way of the car that was speeding towards him....but, as soon as he had turned the steering wheel slightly to the right, the opposite car was about five feet in front of the front bumper of his car.

His eyes widened as he spun the steering wheel as fast as he could to the right,

and snapped his eyes shut....

A horrible *_CRUNCH_* filled his ears as he was thrown foreword.  His seatbelt held him tightly to the seat and the airbag inflated.  

Niles could feel himself being thrown upside down, and a sharp pain in his head, followed closely by the sound of metal smashing.  The smell of smoke filled the air....Niles began to feel dizzy, and tried to open his eyes, but was met with an eerie darkness.  He closed his eyes, and his body relaxed as he fell into unconsciousness....

-Frasier's Apartment-

Daphne tapped her teeth together and glanced at her watch.  _Where is he? she thought, anxiously._

"Daph, you okay?" Roz asked, placing her hand on Daphne's arm. 

"Huh?" said Daphne, snapping out of her thoughts.  "Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little worried about Niles.  He doesn't usually arrive late....he doesn't even _like_ being late."

Roz nodded.  "Yeah, I know.  It is pretty odd that he's late, but he'll probably be here-" She stopped talking as a siren wailing came from outside.

Frasier poked his head out from his bedroom.  "Hey, Dad, could you close that door?  I'm trying to get this tie on."  Martin rolled his eyes, but walked over to the door and closed it, which dimmed the siren dramatically.

Frasier came out of his bedroom, straightening his tie.  He took a quick glance around the room.  "Has Niles arrived yet?"

Everyone responded with a "No" or shook their heads.  

The telephone rang, causing everyone to jump slightly.  "I'll get it, it's probably Niles," said Frasier, picking up the phone.  "Hello?"

"Hello, is this the home of Dr. Frasier Crane and Martin Crane?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"Are the two of you related to a Dr. Niles Crane?"

"Yes we are."

"This is Dr. Gavet from Harborview Medical Center.  Dr. Crane is on his way here as we speak."

"W-why?  What happened?"

"I think that you and any close relations of Dr. Crane should come down here, so that we can explain the situation more effectively."

"Alright, we'll do that," said Frasier, he voice dropping.  "Goodbye."  It took him a few seconds to place the phone back on the receiver; his hands were shaking so badly.

Everyone looked at him, concerned.  "Frasier, what's wrong?" asked Daphne, although she had a slight feeling of what it might be.

Frasier, who was still facing away from them, could feel tears welding in his eyes.  He took in a deep breath, not sure of how to tell them this news.  "Um, N-Niles is being taken to Harborview Medical Center...."

"Why?" was the only word that anyone could find.

"I-I don't know.  They didn't tell me much, just to come down there immediately." 

His chest shook as he inhaled.  "Let's go...."

The four of them grabbed their coats and rushed out the front door, not another word spoken between them....

To Be Continued.....

A/N-Okay, whether or not I continue this is up to you guys.  Oh, and I do _not own "Harborview Medical Center," although I do know that it exists somewhere in Seattle.  Please review!!!!_


	2. Shattered Lives

Disclaimer-See chapter one....it'll never change.

A/N-Thanks for your reviews!  They really do encourage me, as odd as that may sound.  Okay, I don't have a spell check on this computer, so please excuse any grammar or spelling issues there may be.  Please review this chapter!

**Chapter Two-Shattered Lives**

The four adults climbed into Frasier's car: Frasier and Daphne in the front, Martin and Roz in the back.  Although not a word was verbally spoken as Frasier started up the car and began to pull out, their minds were filled with "What if?" "How?" and "Why?" thoughts....

-Frasier's Thoughts-

_"How did this happen?  I mean, I don't even know what I'm talking about, that doctor didn't tell me anything.  But, it must've been pretty awful, or else Dr. Gavet would've said 'minor injuries.'  Or maybe it _is_ nothing....a broken toe, or something along those lines.  __Niles__ would__ have called nine-one-one for a broken toe.  But if that is the case, why do I feel like something horrible is happening right now?"_

-Daphne's Thoughts-

_"Something bad is going to happen, I can feel it!  But if I were to say that I feel this way, everyone would say things like 'No, that could_ never_ happen to us,' or 'You're just scared, so of course you feel this way,' but how can I be sure that that is true?  Niles and I have only been married for about three months, and already something is threatening to tear us apart....again.  First it was Donny and Mel, and now this accident.  I think I'm starting to understand the meaning of 'star-crossed lovers.'"_

-Martin's Thoughts-

_"I don't know why everyone looks so nervous; __Niles_'ll be fine.  The hospital will fix him up and we'll be able to laugh about how scared we were as soon as this is over....I mean, how scared_they__ were.  Why is it that everyone seems to be thinking that the worst possible thing happened?  Whatever happened to 'positive thinking?'  Geez, even Roz looks scared....I didn't know that she even liked****__Niles__.  Well, I guess that bad times can bring out the good in people....but this isn't a 'bad time...'_

_"....__Niles__'ll be fine...."_

-Roz's Thoughts-

_"Oh, my God, is this happening?  I wish that that doctor would've at least _told_ Frasier what the hell is going on.  This feels so weird; I never thought I'd worry about __Niles__ this much.  Then again, I've never had a reason to....I don't think that any__ of us have.  I've never seen Frasier look so freaked out before.  I can't really see Daphne, but I can tell that she's shaking.  And Martin is definitely scared; he's just trying to cover it up.  He may have been a great detective, but he's no actor.  Oh, my God....what is that?"_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All of these thoughts occurred as Frasier pulled out of the parking garage.  Although it was _very dark out, all of them could see a large cloud of smoke spilling into the sky from another block.  _

Confusion and curiosity flashed over Frasier's features as they began to get closer to the source of the smoke.  The street lights were on, and three fire trucks were shining their headlights on the spot where everything had occurred.

Their car began to slow down as Frasier, Daphne, Martin, and Roz stared at a horrifying car wreck….  

A small navy blue car, which had obviously been going the wrong direction, was on the side of the road, the front of the car completely smashed.  A young man, no older than twenty-one, was being tested for drinking; he wobbled and tried to use his arms for balance as he attempted to stand on his left leg.  The boy looked alright, except for a few cuts and bruises, but it was the other car that caught everyone's attention....

It was completely flipped over, the roof of the car completely smashed against the road.  All of the windows, except for the back one, had shattered.  It was ruined beyond repair, and a charred part of the rear showed that it had been on fire at one point, although it had been put out.  Frasier sucked in his breath; he immediately recognized that car as Niles's. 

Everyone else noticed it as well.  Frasier's car slowly rolled to a halt.  Time seemed to have stopped.  Frasier slowly shook his head_.  No, it can't_ be his car....that is a very common car around here._  Frasier rolled down his window.  "E-excuse me?!"_

A young woman cop walked over to his window and leaned over to face him.  "I'm sorry, sir, but you need to move it along," she said, tapping the roof of his car.

"I will, but I....what happened?"

She bit her lip, obviously debating whether or not to tell him.  "Well....you see that kid over there?" she asked, pointing at the boy who had been tested for drinking, and was now being put into handcuffs.  "He was driving the wrong way on this road, going about fifty or sixty miles per hour.  Apparently, he had had quite a few drinks, although he won't admit it, because he's only twenty years-old.  

"He ran head first into another car, and....you know, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but you seem so concerned, so I'll go on....he completely totaled that car there," she continued, gesturing towards Niles's car.  "That kid walked out of his car with only a few scratches to show for it, but the other driver wasn't as lucky.  We had a hell of a time trying to get him out.  Finally, we had to break all of the windows and pull him out manually.  Luckily, he was wearing his seat belt, but it seems that as soon as the car flipped over, he got hit in the back of the head with some bottle, and the bottle shattered.  The poor guy lost a lot of blood because of that."  She shook her head sadly.  "We sent him to Harborview Medical Center a little while ago."

Frasier's eyes widened; it _was Niles who had been involved in that crash.  "We were just on our way there," he said, his voice croaking.  "Do you have his name or any information at all?"_

"Well...."  She searched her pockets and pulled out a small, white, laminated piece of paper.  "Oh yes, I do.  I completely forgot to give this to the ambulance worker after I gave him the name of the injured driver."  She squinted to read the name in the limited amount of light.  "It was a Mister....Niles Crane."

Everyone in the car stared at her for a second, and then let their heads drop. 

Frasier slowly held out his hand.  "I'll-I'll take that," he mumbled, "since I'm going down there to see him, anyway."

A pained look filled the cop's features as she realized what he meant.  "I'm so sorry," she whispered.  She looked from Niles's picture to Frasier's face.  "You know, you do look a lot like him....brothers?"  Frasier nodded, and then accepted his younger brother's license.

The drive to the hospital had been filled with prayers, tears, or complete silence.  As soon as they arrived at Harborview Medical Center, they all feared what they would learn as soon as they entered the building.  They entered the waiting room, which was unusually empty.  They receptionist greeted them with a small smile.  

Roz plopped down in a chair, and began picking a hang nail.  Daphne excused herself to the restroom, so that she could be alone for a short while.  Martin went to ask the receptionist if they could see Niles as soon as possible, and then he sat down in a chair across from Roz, rubbing his forehead.

Frasier leaned against the wall, staring down at the ground.  The memory of Niles's car wouldn't leave his mind.  _This is all my fault, he realized__.  I__ was the one who told him to go and get that wine, and then the wine bottle makes the accident all the worse!  I'm so_ sorry, __Niles___. _

Tears filled his eyes, but he did not try to stop them.  They flowed freely out of his eyes, trailed down his cheeks, and dropped down to the floor.  Frasier slid down the wall into a sitting position.  He buried his head in his arms and began to cry, not knowing, or caring, that Roz and his father were watching him, wanting to do the exact same thing.

Even when he ran out of tears, Frasier continued to sit on the floor, still buried in his arms, and still clutching his brother's driver's license, not wanting to let go....

Daphne soon returned from the restroom.  Her red, puffy eyes showed that she had been crying as well.  She sat down on the floor beside Frasier, patting him on the arm.

"I'm so sorry, Daphne," he said, his voice slightly muffled by his arms.

"Why on Earth are you sorry?" she asked.

Frasier took in a deep breath, his chest shaking.  "_I_ was the one who had him go out and get the stuff in the first place.  If I hadn't, he would've arrived with you, and we wouldn't be here, worrying about his life!"  Daphne opened her mouth to disagree, but closed it as Frasier continued to ramble.  "And-and then, after the crash, _my_ bottle smashes his head, and is probably the reason he's here!"  Frasier began to hiccup softly, fresh out of tears.

Daphne shook her head.  "No, Frasier, it wasn't your fault.  That young boy was driving too fast, going the wrong direction, _and he was drunk!  If you really want to go so far into detail, the real people at fault are the creators of alcohol."_

Frasier lifted his head. "Daph, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but the fact is, Niles wouldn't have been on the road at that time if _I hadn't demanded that he go out and get __me that wine, and if he had been a bad brother for once and just said "No," he wouldn't have to be in this damn hospital!" _

Frasier broke down once again, and began to shed tears that he didn't even know he had.

"Mrs. Crane?" called a nurse.  "You can go in and see your husband, if you wish."

With one sad glance at her brother-in-law, Daphne stood up.  "May we _all go in and see him?"_

The nurse looked at the four worried faces staring at her.  "Of course you may."

Roz helped Frasier to his feet, and the four of them followed the nurse to Niles's room....

To Be Continued....

A/N-This chapter made me sort of sad....now, please review!  I simply looooove feedback.  And I would like to know what you think about it before I go on.  I've planned out the whole story, and it *should* be five chapters, if not, more.  Review!


	3. You Think That You Can Handle It

Disclaimer-See chapter two, which will tell you to see chapter one, which will tell you that I do _not _own Frasier, any of its characters, Harborview Medical Center, or anything like that. All I own is my computer, my mind, and....no, wait, that's it!

A/N-A forewarning: This chapter is angstier than the two previous ones, in my opinion. And mentions of "blood" and other hospital stuff. And brotherly stuff; I love brotherly stuff.

**Chapter Three-You Think That You Can Handle It**

They arrived in front of room 253. The nurse placed her hand on the doorknob, but did not turn it. "I'd like to warn you," she said, slowly. "There are quite a lot of tubes and machines." No one said anything; they did not care that the nurse was treating them like children; all they wanted was to see Niles, no matter how many devices were sticking out of him. 

The nurse waited a few seconds, and then turned the doorknob. The door opened inwardly, revealing a small room. There was a curtain hanging from the ceiling, around what everyone assumed to be Niles's bed.

A faint *_boop_ boop*_ sound came from behind the curtain. The nurse held open the door, allowing them to enter the room. "He's right behind that curtain," said the nurse, pointing at the curtain, before exiting._

They all just stood there, not acknowledging that the nurse had said anything to them, or had even left. All they could do was stare at the white sheet of plastic which separated them from something that would either relieve them, or cause them to worry even more.

"Th-this is silly," said Martin, slowly walking towards the opposite side of the room. 

"Yeah, you're right, Dad," replied Frasier, following Martin around the curtain, who was also followed closely by Daphne and Roz. 

"I can't bare to look," mumbled Daphne, burying herself in Frasier's shoulder and squeezing her eyes shut. 

She felt Frasier stop abruptly, and could hear his heart rate speed up. "Oh, my God," he muttered, closing his eyes as well, and laying his head upon Daphne's. 

Daphne could not take it any longer; she pulled her head away from Frasier and opened her eyes. All she could manage to let out was a small gasp....

Niles was lying in a bed, at least five tubes coming out of him. He was connected to a heart monitor and two doctors were standing around him, muttering something Frasier, and everyone else, could not make out. Although he looked peaceful,

Niles's face was covered in stitches, burn scars, and a numerous amount of bruises, and his head was covered with a white wrap.

One of the doctors noticed the group standing there, and walked over to them, pulling down her facemask. "Hello, I'm Dr. Taylor, and this is Dr. Gavet. I believe he was the one who called you." She gestured at the man who had moved beside her.

Frasier nodded, unsure of what to say, he had so many questions. "I'm sure that you would like to know how Dr. Crane is doing," she continued. "It seems that Dr. Crane has suffered from severe head trauma as well as severe blood loss-"

"'Severe?'" repeated Daphne. "How severe do you mean?"

"Well, he lost more than a liter of blood from a gash in his head, but, luckily, he has a very common blood type, so replacing the blood wasn't too difficult. It's really the head trauma that we are concerned about; he took a few nasty blows to the head while his car was being flipped over. He's been in and out of consciousness, and we're hoping that he won't go into a coma, but we can't administer any treatments, because of his low-level of consciousness."

"So, do you think that he'll be alright?" asked Martin, hopefully.

"We're not completely positive just yet. We're hoping that he'll stay in consciousness for an extended period of time, so that we can treat the high blood pressure in his head."

"Can we please see him?" asked Daphne. "....alone?"

"Of course, but if there is_ any change at all, notify us as soon as possible."_

Daphne nodded, and the two doctors stepped out of the room. Slowly, the four approached Niles's bedside. Daphne stroked his hair gently. "Hey, Sweetie," she said softly. 

Frasier stood behind her, looking down at his little brother. "I say we try and wake him up," he whispered.

"Really? Do you think that we can?" inquired Daphne, not taking her eyes off of her husband.

"I'm sure we could; it's been proven that voices of loved ones can help someone back to consciousness."

"I'm all for it," agreed Roz, stepping beside Martin, who hadn't made a noise since arriving in Niles's room. "How about you, Martin?" 

Martin didn't respond; he stared at the frail body of his son, whom he had been _so_ sure was going to be alright, but now....he just wasn't sure.  "Yeah....let's try it," he said, so quietly that they had to strain to hear him. 

"Hey, Niles," began Frasier. "It's your older brother, Frasier. Umm....what should I say?" he asked.

"I don't know, it was _your idea," snapped Roz._

"Fine, umm....everyone's here; Daphne, Dad, Roz....we're happy to see you. I-I-" His voice trailed off, trying to think of something he wanted to say. What he _really_ wanted to say was how sorry he was that this had to happen, that all of this could've been prevented if he hadn't been so selfish, how terrible and guilty he felt....but he would rather tell Niles all of this without everyone else in the room. "Now Daphne would like to talk to you," he said, turning the floor over to Daphne.

"Hey, Sweetie," she said again. "I miss you. But don't worry, this'll all be over soon and we can go back to Frasier's house and celebrate his birthday together, like we used to do." She paused. "I love you," she whispered. 

Everyone was shocked when Niles began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, and then shut. They opened once again, and stayed open, looking around him. As his eyes regained clarity, he could see the four people standing around his bed. "Niles?" whimpered Daphne.

Niles responded with a small smile. "Oh, it worked! You were right, Frasier!" exclaimed Daphne, throwing her arms around Niles, sobbing heavily.

Frasier couldn't help but smile as well. "Do you think that we should call in the doctors and tell them that Niles is awake?"

"You're right, Fras. Roz, should we go and find Dr. Taylor and Dr. Gavet?" Roz nodded, very happy that Niles had finally awakened. Martin and Roz exited the room, barely able to stop smiling.

Daphne finally released herself from Niles, and had stopped sobbing. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Niles replied, his eyes half-closing. 

"Well, don't pass out again; the doctors need to give you some kind of treatment." Daphne began to wipe away the tears from her face. "I'm going to go find myself some tissues; I'll come back with Roz and Martin, alright?" As she turned away from Niles, she gave a knowing look to Frasier, silently telling him that she knew he wanted to apologize to his brother.

Daphne left the room, leaving the two Crane brothers alone. "So, anything hurt?" asked Frasier, who could barely look at Niles anymore without feeling a twinge of guilt.

"Not much; it's mostly my head," he replied, touching the wrapping on his head.

"Niles, I am...." He stopped. "I...."

"You what?"

"I am _so_ sorry for all of this," gushed Frasier, unable to keep the words back any longer.

"What do you mean?"

"I should _never_ have made you go out and get me something as little as a bottle of wine; you being there should've been enough, but I put my selfish needs above you. I-I am so sorry! Not only did I make you get me that wine, the bottle is the whole reason they're worried that you won't pull through....I'm so sorry, I should never have even _had _a birthday (*thanks TVStoryGirl538*)!"

Niles smiled and shook his head. "Frasier, it's alright. None of this was _ever your fault. It was just one of those 'wrong place, wrong time' scenarios." _

Frasier smiled. "Thanks, Niles. I was so scared that you either weren't going to forgive me, or...." His smile faded. "....die. You know, tonight must've been the most stressful and, well, painful night of my life. And it made me realize something...."

"And what is that?" Niles asked, lying back down on his pillow, all strength draining from him.

"It made me realize that the people you care for won't always be there, so you should say how much they mean to you day after day." He paused; Niles had shut his eyes. "Niles? Are you listening?"

"Yes," he replied, frailly.

"Okay, well, I know I don't say it enough but....I love you, Niles. I know we have our fights and quarrels, but I don't know what I'd do without you." Frasier could feel a great weight lift off of his chest.

Although his eyes were still closed, Niles smiled. "T-thank you, Frasier. I don't know the last time I've heard you say that....I love you, too...." His voice faded, and his body went limp; he had lost consciousness once again.

Right at that moment, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Gavet rushed in. "Is he still awake?" asked Dr. Gavet, hurriedly.

Frasier shook his head no. "He just went unconsciousness a few seconds ago."

Dr. Gavet sighed, and looked at the heart monitor. "Oh, my God....his blood pressure is dropping rapidly, we've got to treat him, now!" Dr. Gavet took Frasier by the arm and pushed him behind the curtain. 

A few other nurses rushed in, disappearing behind the curtain. Frasier sat down in a chair, listening to the doctor's voices, and the faint *_boop__ boop* coming from the heart monitor. _

*_boop__ boop*_

"He's experiencing cardiac arrest!"

*_boop__....boop*_

"Give him one hundred volts!"

There was a small *zap* and then a thud.

"No change!"

"One hundred and five volts!"

*Zap* *Thud*

"Still no change!"

"Come on, you've got to help us out, here!"

*_boop__....*_

"Quickly, one hundred and ten volts!"

*Zap* *Thud*

"No change."

Dr. Taylor sighed. "There's nothing more we can do....he's gone. Shut of the AED."

_*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP*_

That sound was the most painful Frasier had ever heard. He had listened to his little brother pass away, listened to the doctors attempt to bring him back, but fail. He shook his head in disbelief. _No, this can't be real. He was fine a few minutes ago. This....can't _be real.__

Dr. Gavet came out to where Frasier was sitting. "Dr. Crane, I'm sure you know....you're younger brother has passed on.

Frasier nodded, but he didn't want to accept it, or even hear it. "Do you want me to tell the others?" Dr. Gavet asked.

"No, I should do it," said Frasier, standing up. He walked out of the room, where he saw his father, Daphne, and Roz standing next to the opposite wall, waiting for any information at all.

Frasier sighed. He did not want to be the one to tell them this news, but him telling it was better than a doctor. 

"How is he, Frasier?"

Frasier looked at Daphne, who was still so happy from her husband's awakening.

"Not good, Daphne."

"No, you don't mean that he's....?" 

Frasier took a deep breath. "Yes, Daphne....I do."

Daphne shook her head slightly, before bursting into tears. "But, he was fine!" she exclaimed. "He had woken up, and was....fine!" She turned on her heel and ran to the restroom once again. 

"I-I'll go after her," said Roz, still in disbelief of what Frasier had said.  She turned slowly and ran after Daphne.

Martin stared at the wall behind Frasier, not moving. "Dad?"

Martin looked at his older son, his eyes glassy. "Yes, Fras?"

Frasier didn't say another word; he simply embraced his father, and began to cry silently. The way his father shook told Frasier that Martin was crying as well.  Roz and Daphne cried as well, sitting on the bathroom floor. 

No one understood how this could have happened. It had always seemed that this sort of thing could happen to anyone, but not them....but it had. Everything had seemed so perfect, until that one boy decided that he could "handle" a few drinks....

To Be Continued.....

A/N-I feel _so_ bad about killing off Niles, but it was the direction that I needed this story to go. I apologize for this, please don't hate me! 

And it was hard trying to find all of that information on what happens in hospitals (i.e. equipment, etc.). Thank you AskJeeves.com!


	4. Trial Mornings

Disclaimer-I don't own "Frasier," any of its characters, or anything else like that...

A/N-I _still_ feel really bad about killing off Niles.  I promise, I'll write a story where he lives (I have one "in the works" right now).  By the way, the DUI Seattle Courtroom is made up by me, so if, by slim chance, it _does_ exist, I don't own it either.  Thanks for all of the reviews!  Please keep 'em coming!  

Oh, and thanks to askjeeves.com for helping me find out what happens in a court for an "Under 21" DUI case.  

**Chapter Four-Trial Mornings**

Only a day had gone by since Niles's passing, but to the Crane family, it had felt like a lifetime.  Everything seemed so different; no one to wipe off furniture with a handkerchief, no one to constantly reticule Roz....all of those little habits that Niles had possessed everyone had loved, but had never taken the time to really notice or appreciate....

So came the night before the twenty-year-old boy's trial.  Everyone had taken time off of their jobs or appointments to go and see what kind of punishment this boy was going to receive.  

Although no one wanted to admit it, they all hoped that the boy was going to get a _very_ severe punishment.  They all knew that what they hoped for was a cruel wish, but their pain over missing Niles overcame that guilt, and was replaced with anger and hatred towards the boy.

They had all agreed to meet in front of the DUI Seattle Courtroom at seven o'clock a.m. the next morning.

-The Next Morning-

Daphne awoke to someone pounding on her door.  "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called, standing up.  As her vision cleared and the memories of the previous nights came flooding back to her, Daphne suddenly felt a sense of closure, but knew that it would take quite a long time for all of the pain to vanish, and also knew that the pain would never completely go away.

She opened the door.  "Oh, hello, Frasier."  

"'Morning, Daphne.  Are you ready to go?" Frasier asked.

Daphne looked down at her clothes.  It was the same outfit that she had been wearing the past day or so.  "Not quite," she said.  "I've got to change and brush my hair first.  And thank you for offering to drive me there."

"Of course, Daphne.  Dad's waiting in the car downstairs."  Frasier watched Daphne depart into her bedroom.  She seemed slightly better than she had been.  Frasier also felt a little better, but was still very much angered over the twenty-year-old and the bad choices the boy had made. 

Frasier assumed that the boy would either be locked up for a few years, or be suspended from his driver's license or something along those lines, but Frasier felt that any of those punishments would be too kind.  He wanted the boy to have such a punishment that he would know what kind of pain the Crane family was feeling, but he knew that no judge would sentence such a young kid to a punishment such as that.

Daphne came back into the main room.  "I'm ready, let's go."  Frasier nodded, and followed Daphne out of the door, and down to his car.

-The Trial-

Daphne, Frasier, and Martin met Roz in front of the DUI Seattle Courtroom promptly at seven.  After a _long_ wait through security, they all sat down in the front row of the courtroom.  

The room was filled with about five more people, all in the rows.  One woman was crying, and a man was attempting to comfort her.  Frasier assumed that they were the twenty-year-old's parents.  The other three people were either friends or witnesses.  The twenty-year-old sat at the defensive table along with his lawyer. 

The bailiff entered the courtroom.  "All arise for Judge Cline."  Everyone stood up as a middle-aged woman entered the courtroom and sat down at the judge's stand, everyone else in the courtroom sitting down as well.

The twenty-year-old's lawyer, Jonathan Webb, stood up.  "This is the case of 'Seattle versus Travis Lee.'"  

Jonathan Webb quickly glanced over some papers before continuing.  "Mr. Lee is accused of DUI and manslaughter."

Judge Cline nodded, resting her head in her right hand.  "Mr. Lee, please stand up."  Travis did as he was told.  "Now, Mr. Lee," continued Judge Cline.  "How old are you?"

"Twenty," replied Travis, his voice low.

"I see.  What can you say for yourself?  DUI, wrecking another car, killing another driver....can you give me one reason why I shouldn't sentence you to a few years in prison and a fine of three thousand dollars?"

Travis looked down at the floor for a second.  When he looked up, he spoke so softly that the judge had to ask him to repeat what he had said.  "I said, this is my first time getting caught-"

"'-getting caught'?" repeated Judge Cline.  "Are you telling us that you have driven under the influence of alcohol before _without_ getting caught?"

"I....umm-"

"Mr. Lee, I cannot relieve you of these charges simply because it is your 'first time getting caught.'  Even if it_ was_ your first time, that does not mean that you can go out, get a few drinks, and then end up killing another person!"  Judge Cline shook her head and rubbed her forehead.  "Mr. Webb, how does your client plead?"

"Guilty."

The air seemed to be sucked out of the room; almost no one could believe that such a young boy would admit that he did something wrong, and be willing to face the consequences along with it.

"Mr. Lee, you plead 'guilty?'"

Travis nodded his head.  "Yes, ma'am."

"And why is that?"

"Because....I knew that I did something wrong by going out and drinking before I turned twenty one...."

_And what about the 'murder' part?_ thought Daphne.  _At least admit that you're sorry about that._

Travis Lee did not say another word.  "Mr. Lee, I sentence you to a two thousand dollar fee and six years in prison for DUI and manslaughter."  Judge Cline smacked the gavel against the table, and the decision was made.  Everyone began standing up and filling out of the courtroom.  

Daphne, however, continued to sit where she was.  She watched Travis be taken away by the bailiff, and was filled with an anger that she had never felt before. _ He didn't even care that he killed someone.  I can't believe that he didn't apologize for that._

Frasier noticed that Daphne hadn't moved, and came back to their seats.  "Daphne, are you okay?" he asked.

"No!" she snapped.  "That _horrible_ person didn't even _care _that they killed Niles!  All I wanted was for him to admit that he was guilt ridden about killing someone, but he didn't!"

"Daph, I'm sure he _does_ feel bad about it; he probably just didn't want to admit it in front of his family and friends."  Although Frasier was also rather upset that Travis hadn't admitted to the accidental-murder, he was rather glad that Travis had, at least, the intelligence to plead 'guilty,' and that was enough to make Frasier feel that Travis did indeed feel sorry, although he did not say it verbally.

"You're probably right, Frasier, but I can't help feeling that he should've said something."

Frasier nodded.  "I know.  C'mon, let's go to the car."

-That Night-

Daphne drove home from her brother-in-law's house at nine p.m.  She knew that she would be returning to an empty house, and the mere thought of it pained her. 

She drove past the block where the accident had occurred; workers were still trying to fix the large crack in the sidewalk where Niles's car had collided with it.  As one of the workers looked up at her, she quickly turned away, sighing deeply.

She was glad that Travis had gotten a punishment that he deserved, but _still _felt that he should have admitted _everything _he had done wrong, not just drinking under the legal age.  

She finally arrived at their home.  She slipped the key into the lock and turned.  She opened the door; a cool breeze blew out into the hall.  She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around herself: no one was there to embrace her.

She sat down on the couch.  She felt at a loss; she did not want to do much of anything, and she hadn't even wanted to go to the trial, but everyone else had been so passionate about it.  

Daphne yawned deeply.  She switched off the light and laid down on the couch, not wanting to get up and go to her bedroom.  She pulled a blanket over her and closed her eyes....and then opened them again, staring into the darkness.  

Somehow, she could feel someone in the room with her.  She sat upright and switched the light on....the room was empty.  "I could have sworn...." she whispered, continuing to glance around the room.  She shook her head.  "I must have been hallucinating."

Daphne switched the light off once again and laid down on the couch.  She slowly closed her eyes, and tried her hardest to relax....

There it was again; the feeling of someone's presence in the room.  Daphne did not turn on the light this time, however; she simply stayed where she was.  Although she never knew for sure, before she drifted off to sleep, she was sure that she could feel her husband's hand on her face, whispering _Goodbye...._

To Be Continued....

A/N-Thanks TVStoryGirl538 for the other idea of Niles "coming back."  You keep giving me such good ideas, thanks!  

Now, click that little box below and review, please!


	5. Life Goes On

Disclaimer-I don't own "Frasier," or anything else involved with television, movies, etc.

A/N-Thanks for all of the reviews, guys!  This chapter is from Frasier's POV (hey, I told you that I love "brotherly stuff").  Enjoy!

**Chapter Five-Life Goes On...**

_One Month Later..._

"It seems that ever since Niles's passing, I've been distracted from my work.  Not just with the fact that he's gone, but I can't stop thinking about someone else I love dying.  I know that Daphne and Roz are many years away from passing away, but I'm getting nervous about Dad; he's getting older, although he won't admit it...

"I suppose there's nothing I can do about it, except cherish the moments we have together, as hard as _that can be at times._

"Daphne is doing much better than she was before; she must have found closure in some way; I just wish that_ I could find closure.  She doesn't like sleeping in her apartment alone, however, so she has stayed at my apartment for the past few weeks.  _

"She misses him dreadfully, and who can blame her?  Even Maris called her a few days ago to pay her regrets; Daphne said that it sounded like Maris was crying!  Whether or not _that is true, we're not sure about._

"And the funeral...I've never felt such a pain as when I was in the church, looking down at my little brother in the casket.  He looked peaceful, as most do when they die.  The scars were still vivid, and looked even brighter over his pale skin...I still can't shake off the memory of seeing his wrecked car for the first time, seeing him after the accident, and being in the room when he passed away...it's been in my mind for the past month.

"When Daphne asked me to read a small speech at his funeral, I worked for the limited number of days I had to get it perfect, and memorize it; reading it meant a lot to me.  I didn't go to work two of the days, and I know Kenny's furious with me, but I wanted it to be perfect..."

_-Flashback-The Funeral-_

"And now, Dr. Frasier Crane has a few words that he'd like to say about his brother."  The priest stepped down from the podium, and Frasier walked slowly up the stairs.  His vision was blurry, but was clearing up a little.  

He stood at the podium, and looked around at all of the heartbroken people.  Some he knew, some were only vaguely familiar.  He spotted two of Niles's exes, Maris and Mel, sitting in the second to last row; they appeared to be just as upset as anyone else, aside from Daphne, and the rest of the Crane family.

Frasier snapped back into reality.  He cleared his throat, and began.  "A year after my arrival in Seattle, my brother, Niles, told me that he had never felt pure happiness.  Since that day, I am sure that he has felt pure happiness many, many times.  Whether if it was marrying the love of his life, Daphne Moon..."  He paused, looking at Daphne, who gave him a sad smile. "...or making the half-court shot at a basketball game.  I only hope that he knew that he was as happy as we knew he was.  I will always miss my little brother, but I will try to only remember the good times, and not obsess over what could have been done.  Thank you."

He stepped down from the podium, tears filling his eyes.  He sat down next to his father, and zoned out as the priest continued to talk...

_-Reality-_

"...and that's the way it went.  I never want to experience the feeling of being at a funeral ever again, although I know I'll have to soon.  I think the hardest part was watching the casket being closed, and then it lowered into the ground.  He was buried right next to Mom, even though it was supposed to be where I was going to be buried, but it doesn't matter too much; the headstones simply had to be switched."

I take a deep breath and look at the ceiling before continuing.  "After everyone, except for Dad and I, had left, the two of us stood in front of two of our family member's graves for what seemed like a lifetime, without a word, reading them over and over…."

_Hester Rachelle Crane_

_1926-1986_

_Niles__ Crane                     _

_1957-2003_

"Something didn't seem right about it; two of our family members being taken from us, I mean."  A sigh escapes from me.  "Sometimes I wonder if we did something wrong early on, but my thoughts always end the same: No, we did fine.  Some force greater than us felt the need to take them away."

The phone rings, so I get up off of the couch, stretching my back.  "Thanks for listening; I've needed to get all of that off of my chest for awhile."

As I turn away from the brown eyes that were staring at me all while I was talking, I feel slightly foolish, but at the same time, I feel a great weight lift off of my shoulders.  

The phone continues to ring, but I decide not to answer it.  I walk towards the kitchen, smiling to my "psychiatrist" at the time; the one Niles had tricked me into talking to when I had hurt my back: Eddie.  

I smile and shake my head in remembrance, and continue on my way to the kitchen.

In the words of Laura Swenson, "For some, life lasts a short while, but the memories it holds last forever."

**Finis**

A/N-I know, it was short, but this seemed to sum it up.  Okay, review please.  


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